The Sanctuary Specialist
by Zee Dae
Summary: The Vault Hunters do missions but what happens behind the scenes when the Vault Hunters are busy with other things? Sanctuary has it's specialist and these four are used to the utmost efficiency. They may seem different but they are true forces of nature who could be vault hunters if they wanted. See how the four specialists came to meet and the adventures that await them.
1. Chapter 1: Blair Mackenzie

Chapter 1

Blair Mackenzie, The Wildcard

The sun shown through my apartment window in the floating town of Sanctuary. The alarm clock started to blare (no pun intended) and I quickly shut the damn thing off before I got headache. I still must have been tired because my hand just hung on the clock for five minutes before I got up to a sitting position. I rubbed my eyes and blinked away the sleep before getting up and heading to the small dresser that held my clothes. I noticed the sweat on my sheets and pillow as they were scattered around my bed on the floor. Suddenly I remembered the nightmares from last night. I hadn't had them for awhile until my arrival on Pandora.

" _Your hair is raven colored. Raven damn it. Don't let anyone else tell you other wise._ "

After taking a few shaky breaths and shaking my head of the thought, I was focused again.

"Another day, another round of training, fixing, hunting, and patching up wounds that would make a normal medic cringe," I mumbled.

It wasn't long before I changed and was scanning through my hidden storage chest for the gear I was going to bring in my daily routine. I decided on what I usually decide on: a fire elemental Maliwan sniper rifle, Ms. Moxxi's Bad Touch (tipping regularly has its benefits), the old red Hyperion Sniper rifle that had no elemental benefit and would have been outclassed by the future designs if I didn't keep upgrading it, and my family's blue, explosive Maliwan revolver. Call me old-school but I prefer some of the older designs that the gun manufacturers made better than some of these new ones. I grabbed some of the MIRV grenades and my shield before attaching my ECHO device. The final touch was my good old Hacker-Jacker.

"Time to see what's on today's agenda. I just wish Lilith would give me a schedule. It'd make me feel less scattered."

…...

I blinked before responding to Lilith, making sure I was emphasizing enough to receive a good answer.

"You want me...to do something the Vault Hunters can't?"

Lilith shook her head. "They're busy dealing with things in the Dust. It's not that they can't do it but they aren't in a position to where they CAN do it."

"No training the soldiers and recruits? No helping Zed? No random bout of dealing with Patricia's ECHO logs and Scooter's love interests?"

"Yeah Blair."

"You want me...to investigate some bandits transporting goods?"

"Yeah. I figured it would do you good to get out some where further than the grounds below Sanctuary. You've just seemed a bit, how do I put it, antsy," Lilith explained.

Before answering with what I was going to say, a thought crossed my mind.

"This wasn't from when I nearly killed some of your Crimson Lance veterans from laughing about my hair right? I personally patched up the guy who's leg should have been amputated because of my revolver. I'm pretty sure he was thankful for that."

"No," she replied.

"Okay. Well was it because I nearly beat a recruit when he didn't show up for training? He won't be laughing about keeping a schedule now."

The Siren sighed.

"No Blair, it's not because of your...overreactions, you've just seemed antsy. I figured you'd like to get out and you know...deal with bandits. You haven't done that for a while and I know how much you hate em."

Alright good. There isn't any reason to believe my overreactions, which I blame on my previous quirks being psychotically amplified from the crazed planet that is Pandora, and I don't have to be worried about being excommunicated or something.

"So when can I go Lilith?" I asked.

"Whenever you want to Blair. Just make sure you try to identify what they could be moving alright? I'll leave the rest of the planning up to you. I trust your capabilities to do things smoothly."

I stood straight and saluted. I tended to do that with leaders I respected and Lilith was one of them. I could say that because I fought side by side with her when she and the Crimson Raiders assaulted a large Hyperion foundry. Impressive leadership in the wake of Roland's death.

Lilith played along. She chuckled, "Dismissed Blair."

I walked out of the HQ and when the door was closed, I couldn't help jumping off the steps and clicking my feet together like the really old cartoon characters did. Needless to say I almost broke my neck coming down. I guess I had Sanctuary fever and Moxxi's pizza couldn't fix it.

…...

I had been following a small bandit convoy for hours. Espionage and stealth was never my specialty but on Pandora: it was learn or die. I was utilizing a special prototype stealth vehicle that wouldn't appear on radar and emitted very little noise. There was only one and it seated only two people but it was a keeper. I was on a hill that overlooked the plains and it was heading towards a small town, or possible outpost, seated under some mountains. Now that I look at it closer, it seems like a fort. Especially with the big building built into a portion of the mountain base. The small convoy was coming down the road. From a risky hack that made me get to close to the base for comfort, I learned they were taking a delivery first to a checkpoint and then to the holdout called Fort Holdout. Guess they aren't creative with their names. They didn't exactly say what it was though except that it came from a town they wasted. The bastards.

 _ **Click, Click**_

I have never liked hearing the sound of a shotgun this close to my head before.

"Turn around slowly and stay crouched or the rakks will eat brain matter today," a gruff voice ordered.

"C'mon man, let's wax him! We ain't gots ta do that ta someone since breakfast!"

As I turned I saw the one with the shotgun rifle butt the one who wanted to wax me, in the crotch.

"Shut it Asshole."

I smirked as I counted 5 bandits in total, "Now that wasn't a very nice name to call him."

The bandit pointed the shotgun back towards my head and responded, "No it was slag-head. His name is Asshole since he started responding to only that after being shot in the head."

"Don't call me slag-head. That isn't as rude but it still hurts."

Asshole pointed his rifle at me, "C'mon bro let's wax him! He can't tell you what to do Richard!"

 _ **Thump**_

"Don't tell me what to do Asshole! Now what are you doing shadowing our convoy? You with Hyperion? Or from the town that we cleaned out for not paying for protection?"

"Neither." I figured it would be best to stall as long as possible till I got an opening for my Hacker-Jacker.

"How about those Sanctuary bastards? You seem like the type."

I shrugged while looking up at him. "I'm just a merc man. Your convoy caught my eye so I figured I'd check it out."

He placed the dangerous end of the gun against my forehead. It was a Jakobs. Looked like it was modified to have a magazine. Probably was 7 rounds or so and it glowed green. Caustic ammo it seems. At this range it would punch right through my shields and kill me. Best case scenario would be that I end up as brain dead as Asshole over there.

"I should have blown your head off as soon as I saw you purple hair! Quit screwing around or Asshole over here is going to tear you a new one with his personal collection of slag treated torture tools!"

Suddenly I lost it. I don't know how to explain it but it was like I watched my body fight in some sort of out of body experience. I jerked my head to the side and quickly moved up, grabbing the arm and snapping it in half by bending it in two different directions. I shielded my body with his, holding him firmly by his neck (my arm wrapped around it to keep him tight). My revolver was drawn and I cranked off rounds faster than I ever have before. I put bullets in everyone but Richard and Asshole, who had actually cowered close to the ground when I started shooting. The other three bandits were missing limbs and organs that seemed to be melting as a purple substance sizzled on them. When did my revolver shoot slag? I must not have realized my pistol was out because I had it against the side of Rich and kept getting a click because of the lack of ammo in it. Finally I seemed to be in my own body again.

"Don't be such a dick, Dick," I whispered into his ears. I pushed him away and picked up his shotgun. I clubbed him in both his kneecaps, shattering them no doubt given by how he shrieked in pain, and turned the gun on his forehead. As I was about to pull the trigger, I heard a plea from Asshole.

"Please no! Don't kill ma brother!"

I stopped. Why wasn't I pulling the trigger?

"Please! He's all I have left."

I looked at him. Big sum bitch, looked like he could crush a skull with one hand, and he was begging like a child. By how he sounded in his speech and voice, he could very easily be damaged in the brain like I thought. Poor bastard. Then I sighed as I lowered the gun. I hate bandits with a passion, and on Pandora it's kill or be killed, but I don't think I could kill this guy. He seemed like Blaster from Mad Max on the Ancient Movie Channel.

"Get out of here," I smashed Richard's legs again to make my point, "Or I'm gonna tear you a new one with your own toys got it?"

A-Hole nodded and quickly picked up his broken brother and hurried away from me. Pandora brings out the crazy in people and no one could escape that fact. I turned back to my position and watched the convoy close in on the fort. The convoy had a truck that carried a large box. It looked like there were air holes but I couldn't see anything else interesting.

"Wanna go take out some bandits slag-head?"

I nearly crapped myself at the appearance of this guy riding on monstrous skag.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked pointing my empty pistol at him.

"That's not a nice way to greet a friendly."

"Who said you're friendly?"

He laughed and the skag seemed to do so as well.

"Says the guy who's been watching you for hours down the barrel of a sniper rifle and who didn't let the giant skag eat your oblivious ass. Were you trying to be stealthy? If so then you've only remained hidden from the convoy. From someone who is using military tactics, you failed to watch your back from a tail. Two of them to be precise."

I can only roll my eyes despite know he was right. I then questioned him.

"You know what's in that package these guys are carrying?"

He shrugged as he watched the convoy start driving into the outpost, "Nope. They're heavily guarded though. I was going to ambush the convoy till I noticed you had a bandit tail. Figured you'd owe me for helping you but it seemed you could handle yourself once your luck provided you an opening. So I'll ask again: you want to take on some bandits?"

I saw a big gate close behind the last truck in the convoy.

"Damn it. Not unless you want to stake out for the next group of traveling bandits. We're not going to get in unless we drop in from the mountain or something," I answered.

His skag pawed the ground and he pointed at an approaching dust cloud, "I think at the speed that guy's going we'll be able to get in. Wanna go? Because he's on a crash course to that closed gate."

He's right. There was a fuel tanker in the dust cloud and it was heading right towards Fort Holdout at probably over 150 miles an hour. Suddenly a form shot out the top of the truck's cab about 150 yards from the gate.

"Holy crap! Is that...is that a person?" I asked the skag rider.

"Looks like it," was all he said before the truck and tanker collided with the big gate and fort wall.

 _ **FWOOOOOM!**_

"Let's go," the two of us said simultaneously.

I hurried to my Stealth Buggy and when I was ready, I barreled down the hill and the skag kept up with astonishing speed. From what we saw the driver of the truck had safely landed and was on his feet with something in his hands. I figured it was a gun so we sped up to provide assistance to this one man assault.


	2. Chapter 2: Dreidall Hawking

Chapter 2

Dreidall Hawking, The Skag Rider

Stepping out of my little shack to meet the early morning Pandora breeze. Guess I'm going to have to adapt to the winds today. The bandits would no doubt be making a run at me again like they all do. The price I pay for being the only thing standing in the way of the town of Hillview. I adjusted my duster and cowboy hat before closing my shack door. Yeah I know, the town has a pretty bad name right? It got that name from the big hill just sitting outside the town. That was the easiest way to find it. Other than that you have to drop down from some canyons because the town sits smack dab in the middle of a canyon and I so happen to sit at the entrance. You may ask what I do for a living and I'll make it simple to understand: we hunt. Me and my pet skag Skagella. Aside from hunting I screw around with bandits as a hobby. Kill their men, disable their plumbing, steal their nudie magazines, and steal their supplies.

 _ **Squish**_

"God damn it Skagella!" The big skag popped her head out of the ground. I glared at her, "I told you to crap in the plains down below!" She ducked back down into the entrance of her end of the base of operations I had. "Yeah you better get back down there before I stick your nose in it."

God almighty I knew something smelled funky outside. By funky I mean something that smells like the child of Death and a sewer. Time to call the little caretaker bot. Cleaning up after a Queen Skag of Skagella's size is a death sentence more suited to something without nostrils. I clapped and climbed up the small watch tower I had. A rusted looking CL4P-TP steward bot came out of a small shed next to my shack. It was Hyperion colors and was completely devoid of all the quirks that made claptraps well, claptraps.

"What do you need Dreidall," it asked in a deep and robotic monotone voice. It had no personality whatsoever, a flaw in it being disabled in a bar's closet for an extended period of time. Guess this model had older parts.

I sat down in the chair and looked out of the canyon and beyond, "I need you to clean up that poop from Skagella and go dump it in the killing field please."

"Yes sir."

Useful little guy. He was worth 1000 credits because he's saved me more than that in repairs and other things around the home. Well I guess I should take a gander at the perimeter scans. Hmm...looks like nothing on the cliffside or other entrance of the town. Yeah the town doesn't pay me to just slouch about at one entrance. I made sure I had hidden cameras and motion trackers on the canyons and roads into town. No I don't know how to build that stuff, I can only fix my emergency vehicle and the minor electronics around my base. My mama never raised a tech genius and there are others on Pandora who are whizkids if they weren't so psychotically awkward most of the time. I let Jeeves handle my electronics.

"Well I guess it's time to wait for the predictable bandit attack," I said to no one in particular.

Placing my feet lazily on the guard wall of my watchtower, I watched Jeeves roll down to the open space where the bandits would usually die at and dump the "landmine" on the ground and Skagella was playing with a life size bandit chewtoy. Then he burned the bag with a pocket flamethrower he made just for the occasion. I'll ask him to clean my boot when he gets back.

…...

Just like my schedule to continue being right.

"One for the money!"

 _ **BANG**_

 __"Two for the show!"

 _ **BANG**_

 __"Three to get ready and..."

 _ **BANG, BANG, BANG**_

 __"Go, go, go."

Five bandits dead in one cliché rhyme. I looked over at Jeeves. He seemed to be having fun on a little turret he built for just these kind of occasions. He had a mobile turret that could attach itself onto my wall.

"Eat my bullets! Eat them!"

I thing a robot shouting violent sentences on a personal megaphone while shooting a turret is just as scary as a lone sniper. Just wait till the coup de grâce though and they saw what I'm really known for.

" _Let's see,_ " I thought. " _They've set up minor fortifications with their vehicles but they're not gonna make a move. Jeeve's anti-rocket system is picking off their rockets (thank you for that you little Hyperion devil) and nothing is showing up on the other radar scans. I'll wittle them down some more before me and Skagella go to town._ "

So I stood my ground with Jeeves. For about two more hours and barely making a dent in my stockpile of ammo, I kept killing them when the opportunity presented itself (which was all the time but I told Jeeves to toy with them with me. They really are hell bent on getting that "protection fund" from Hillview. From the 30 varied bandits that tried to attack, there were 15 left. I think it's time.

"Skagella!" She looked up when I said her name. There was an intensity in her eyes that appeared when she was itching for a fight. "You ready girl?" She lifted her head to the sky and let out this ear piercing screech. It even put chills in my bones and I don't even have to worry about her attacking me. I take that as a yes. I leave my position and give Jeeves an order to keep them busy so I could saddle her up. By the time I was done doing so she was practically pawing a ditch into my yard. She was easily 8 feet long and a good 3 feet wide at the shoulders. She was a monster but she is my monster and I would go back and grab that injured queen skag pup every time if I was given the chance again.

"Jeeves open the door!"

"Yes Dreidall. Opening Door function activated. Slaughter those bastards Dreidall."

It sounds so funny when he says stuff like that, what with monotone voice and all.

"Alright girl," I whispered in her ear, "lets ride!"

We charged out the door and when we were down the hill, I readied my rifle. I could shoot a sniper rifle one handed better than anyone on Pandora. One bullet, two dead. Just the way I like em. Shooting with my sniper rifle is inefficient still on my mount but spraying with my TMP's is my usually goal when me and Skagella tag team our foes. Switching the gear out, I felt the bullets bounce off of my pet's biological shield. Just so you know, she got that shield when she ate a nest of Stalkers and adapted to use a shield like some them. Oh sorry I got lost in thought. Back to the fight.

"You get a burst! You get a burst! Everyone gets a burst!" I cried while shooting the bandits with bursts from my two TMP's. I was shattering shields, killing the unprotected, and even blew up one of the runners they were driving. My cowboy hat stayed firmly on my head as I directed Skagella to leap over the barricade of cars.

"AHHHHHH-ack!"

Heh, heh. Poor bastard got caught under my girl's weight. She's just the right size for squishing people if she wants to. I peppered the surrounding foes with grenades and bullets in order to protect Skagella's flank while her shield protected her front. She severed a bandit in two and caught one in her mouth to shake him around like he was her chew toy before throwing him away limp. Soon it was all down to chasing them down as they ran away. I usually let the big girl have her fun when it came to hunting the fleeing bandits as I cleaned up the bodies with Jeeves. Man skags get all the fun sometimes. What? You think I'm a little crazy? Of course I am. I was born on this asylum of a planet and I have a queen skag and a Hyperion claptrap unit as my only friends. I kill people and hunt animals for a living as well as doing the odd job as a mercenary. I can put a bullet in someone's brain at 1600 yards from atop a running skag and I despise most people. Yes I think I'm a little crazy. Jeeves then lit the pile of bodies on fire as Skagella tossed the last screaming psycho on. An antenna suddenly poked out of his body and a beeping was heard.

"Dreidall, you have a call coming in from Hillview."

"Thank you Jeeves. Send it to my ECHO device." He helped by being a secretary too. What a wonderful little guy. "This is Dreidall Hawking, Sentinel of Hillview, how may I help you?"

A shaky voice answered, "Mr. Hawking, is the fighting done?"

"Oh howdy there Stanley. Yeah, everything's good. A few scratches but I-..." Skagella growled. "We handled it."

"G-good. If you want I-I'll get the payment to you when you visit. We're all glad you are okay."

I swear to god Stanley must be scared of me. I wonder why?

"Thanks Stan. See you guys later."

He stopped me before I could hang up.

"Wait, wait, wait Mr. Hawking. We would like to ask a favor of you since you're the only one around who can really investigate."

Hmm, a quest perhaps. "Go on," I tell him.

Stanley cleared his throat before continuing, "During your regularly scheduled fight, Jenny Calhoun heard a distress signal on an emergency frequency coming from a town. We didn't plan to do anything but..." He then paused.

"But what Stanley?" I said to press him.

"The e-en-entire town may h-have been wiped out a-a-and the culprits are most l-likey the bandits that have been a-a-attacking us."

The Fort Holdout bandits? I figured they were hitting other towns and probably kidnapping and raping people when not paid. But murdering an entire town?

"Send the money to my shack Stanley. I'll leave Jeeves to take it. Me and Skagella will go investigate so send me a marker for the town. I think I'll take some extra measures and stake out any of the local outposts for Banner's Brigade. If they wiped out a town, they had to have taken stuff. How long ago did this emergency call come in?"

"It came about an hour ago. Jenny tried to send a reply but she got nothing. We were thinking of sending a message up to Sanctuary if they didn't already know but we figured you'd want a piece of the action."

I placed my hat on my head and responded, "Send me the town's location and send my payment for the town defense to Jeeves. I'll investigate and then we'll decide on whether we call Sanctuary. Their Vault Hunters don't always have the time to deal with the 'little people'. I'll talk to you later Stanley."

"Good luck M-Mr. Dreidall." Stanley then signed off and a new quest appeared.

"Jeeves. You know what to do. Take care of the place and sit tight unless I call you. Take these scavenge the current battlefield and take anything that has any possible value or usefulness. Treat yourself to something nice. You've more than earned it."

"Yes Dreidall. Good luck to you and Skagella." He then proceeded to poke around the pile of gear we stripped the bandits of and load it all in a trailer connected to my runner.

I had restocked the ammo on my person with that of the ones from the dead attackers. "C'mon girl!" I then swung myself onto her saddle. "Let's ride!"

…...

"That's definitely a convoy alright. They seem to be transporting quite a few things but that one crate in the middle has four guards with rocket launchers." I looked away from my sniper scope and looked over at my pet and friend. "What do you think girl?"

" _Hrrg?_ "

"Yeah, I didn't figure you'd know. Now what is this jackwagon doing?"

There was a guy with purple hair wearing gray and white combat fatigues, looking at the convoy with some binoculars. He must not be good about dealing with tails because he was being ambushed by some bandits right now. I had been following him for hours, hiding in the hills and rocky terrain out of his sight. The truck on the plains towards the bandit holdout was the only thing he'd ever avoid.

"Alright Skagella, let's get a little closer. Keep quiet like I showed you," I told her before getting back in the saddle. For a huge skag the size of a car, she was one of the most silent hunters I've ever seen. Just like me!"

So we got closer and no one saw us. I heard the purple haired guy say, "Your convoy caught my eye so I figured I'd check it out."

I'm pretty good at reading people for being as antisocial as I am and I think he was lying. Thing is: it was a damn good lie. He had the tone, the posture, and the look. Spec Ops? Hard to believe because of the medic cross on his back.

I then heard the mention of slag treated torture tools and clicked the safety off my rifle. I'd rather save the stranger than the bandits. Then the guy surprised me, and kind of startled me a bit. He just suddenly snapped the guys arm like a twig, drew a blue revolver, and absolutely annihilated 3 of the 5 bandits. One of them (who seemed like he was dropped on his head as a child) and Shotgun Richard. Then the guy just kneecaps Rich by clubbing him with the shotgun. I was certain the guy was going to kill him but the dumb one started begging. "Slag-Head" stood his ground and then let the two go. Who the hell lets two bandits go?

"Is this guy stupid?" I wondered aloud to Skagella.

However...I didn't kill the two, who's skulls were in my sights. I don't know why and I couldn't come up with a good reason as to why. Then I noticed a small dust cloud off in the distance. Yeah bitches that's right: I have greater than 20/20 vision and with no cybernetics. I'm good like that. Anyways it seemed like only a vehicle or stampede could make that kind of cloud. This holdout was probably going to have company.

"Let's pay this guy a visit. We're going to have company Skaggy."

So I crept up on the guy (on Skagella's back mind you) and literally scared this guy. He's either super dense or I'm just that good.

I told him his pistol pointing was not a nice way of greeting a friendly. He said, "Who said you're friendly?"

Really? So I filled him in.

"Says the guy who's been watching you for hours down the barrel of a sniper rifle and who didn't let the giant skag eat your oblivious ass. Were you trying to be stealthy? If so then you've only remained hidden from the convoy. From someone who is using military tactics, you failed to watch your back from a tail. Two of them to be precise."

So we had a little chit-chat and then I pointed out the now visible fuel tanker barreling down on Fort Holdout. I asked him if he wanted to get after the bandits now.

"Holy crap is that a person?" he asked as a form ejected from inside the truck cab.

That thing then blew up as soon as it hit the wall entrance. We both decided to assist the lone guy we saw get out of the ejection seat and charge the fort. He was in a new type of runner I hadn't seen before and I was on my trusty steed. I kept up with him and we made our way to the bandit stronghold and prepared for a fire (get it?) fight.

"Yippey-ki-yay mother buster!" I shouted when we neared it.


	3. Chapter 3: William Ashcroft

Chapter 3

William Ashcroft, the Vanguard

"Now setting down in Hyperion Outpost-0234. Please watch your footing as you leave the shuttle and be careful out there boys and girls. Pandora is no playground."

Here and we haven't had an issue yet. I was really hoping someone would try to claim my bounty. It would have been funny to see them try but I guess my size made anyone think twice.

"Please look out for the wanted posters at the nearest bounty board. They contain some of the most recent wanted felons both on Pandora and off Pandora. If you come across them or have come across them, please report to the nearest Hyperion officer for further assistance. Have a nice day."

That pilot is to friendly to work at Hyperion. Guess there has to be a good seed in the worst crop. I stepped off the shuttle and it took off when the last of the seedy looking passengers left. All of them headed off to the bar but I headed to the nearest soldier. When I walked up to him and his buddy, they were startled when they were looking at my chest.

"Excuse me," I started, "do you know where Dahl has their nearest mining locations are?"

His response wasn't what I wanted. "Do you even pay attention to the news buddy? Dahl hasn't had a position on this planet, or at least in on this coast, since the one used as a bandit stronghold."

I leaned against the wall of a building, which was next to a bounty board. I gave him a slight smile.

"Listen little one, I don't need your lip. If Dahl doesn't have any current set ups then I need to know where their major mining spots were. Especially the one called Sanctuary. I feel any Hyperion goon should be able to tell me where that is."

The other soldier he had been talking to pulled him closer and pointed next to my head. As he whispered, I looked where he pointed and saw my wanted poster.

"William Jason Ashcroft," it read before showing my prison mugshot. Then it continued, "Wanted for assault and battery, arson, theft, grand theft auto, vehicular manslaughter, manslaughter, 1st degree murder, blackmail, kidnapping, vandalism, indecent exposure, causing a prison riot, breaking out of prison, working out to much in prison, and for using to big of a gun."

"Hmph." I then saw them reach for their pistols. "Oh no, no, no. Don't do that." Pushing my jacket aside, I showed them my shield. "And if you've seen the news you'll know that mine is bigger. Just give me directions and we won't have to make a scene. By all means though: try something. I really, really want to make a scene." The threat was finished by a grin seen through my brown beard.

He whispered it very quickly and shakily, "It's floating above the Highlands and it's left over hole is located in Three Horns at the Divide."

I nodded and thanked him. What a nice guy when faced with death. I needed to find some answers and I'll be damned if I let a cover up prevent me from doing so. Finding the nearest Catch-A-Ride system as it was called and getting a runner. As I climbed in I felt a slight warmth next to my foot through my pants leg. Starting the Outrunner, I picked up and in some tinfoil wrapping, according to the sticky note taped to it, there was a, "Pementaco".

"Huh, what service."

…...

"This is Three Cat, meow, meow, meow. It's time for that dreaded time again: the news." Glad I found a radio station that wasn't spouting out the bullshit called "the truth". Damn Hyperion wouldn't know truth if it bit them in the ass like a pit bull. This girl sounded familiar for some reason but I couldn't quite put it. Wait what was she talking about? A distress signal?

"Yes that's right folks. On the P.E.C, the Pandoran Emergency Channel, the town of Tranquility is not living up to it's name. There has been an emergency distress to anyone in the area to help in it's defense of a bandit attack. For you Vault Hunter, or you alleged money seekers, this place sounds like they need help. It's unknown if they are still fighting or if they are all wiped out but if I had to give my two bits, it would be that they are dead or missing a crap ton of townsfolk. My sympathies to everyone still alive in Tranquility and I dedicate this song to you."

I turned the radio off and opened up my ECHO device's map. Scanning through all the areas I came across where Tranquility was. Judging from the smoke I had been seeing in the sky and the location I was given on the map, it was a couple more miles past some plains areas. It seemed like it was an oil mining town. I put the peddle down and closed my map. Let's see if there is anything left of Tranquility.

So I drove for a few more minutes and by now the smoke was very prevalent as I saw the walls surrounding the town. There were other cars around but them seemed cruder, bloodier, and more malicious. I slowed down but I didn't stop. Some people around the vehicles started to give commands and then point something. Oh god.

"Shit!" I shouted.

Assault rifle and SMG bullets ricocheted off around my shield, Outrunner, and the ground. They want to play that way eh? Well I'll show them how I fight. I stepped on the gas and drove straight into the nearest car. I knocked cars into people and ran over one but my ride was starting to smoke. I was through the open gates and I jumped out of my ride to tackle the nearest bad guy. Bandits I'm going to guess knowing Pandora. The guy I tackled had a big shield but that didn't protect him when someone my size caught him by surprise. He was flattened beneath his shield and it seemed I crushed a little midget with my own weight. Whipping out my large machete (a normal sized one is to small), I stabbed around the shield and into the bandit's gut. I looked at my car and saw it had braked almost as soon as I left it and was still smoking despite seeming to heal itself. I saw three running men with buzzsaws and two big guys (my size more or less) with heavy machine guns.

"C'mon out baby girl. It's your time to shine!"

I pushed my jacket aside and revealed a small box. I took my glove off and slapped my palm against it. I straffed past bullet fire and then a beep sounded off. The digistructing process started and withing two seconds, I was holding my baby: a massive minigun I custom built and that very few others could carry. The ammo pack had digistructed onto my back and I was locked and loaded.

After it got done revving up, I just shouted as the bullets poured, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The large caliber bullets shredded the five attackers and blew up my runner to seal the deal. I hustled back towards the entrance and targeted every other bandit and their cars. Thousands of rounds expended for a few bodies and blown up cars. I think I was successful and I still had ammo to spare. I turned towards the town and walked towards it.

"Helloooo! Is anyone still alive and friendly here? If you aren't friendly: step your dumbasses out or become the next meat pie in the Ashcroft and Ashlyn Butchery Business!"

I got a response.

"Get the hell out of here man!" A bandit came out holding a young woman hostage with a gun to her head. "I don't know who the hell you think you are but y-you need to leave!"

The young girl was barely clothed like she was in the middle of having be sexually assaulted and was obviously frightened. I gave my witty rebuttal as more bandits showed themselves, some with prisoners and some without.

"No you son of a bitch. You need to leave," I flicked a switch for a quick rev and fired a single bullet into the hostage taker's brain, "in a body bag." I looked around at the few other bandits and gave a chuckle. "Get the hell out of here. I've got no problem making another scene."

"Just who do you think you are man?!"

I grinned at the obvious shaking." 

"I'm William Ashcroft."

"Oh shit, I'm outta here," all the bandits cried.

I started counting to five and by the time I got to it, all the bandits left and no more damage was caused afterwards. I digistructed "Ashlyn" back into her case and looked around the town without the battle mode turned on. I was able to see that there were a lot of crude barricades set up all over the place and even more dead bodies around. A few heads poked out of buildings and very few of the people coming out even tried to talk to me.

"Can someone take me to your leader? That is, if he or she is alive? I wouldn't mind knowing what I just saved."

So one elderly lady actually stepped forward and told me what happened. Tranquility had been forced to pay "protection" money and then the bandits decided to take the town. They gave the people a chance (something that was strange for a bandit to give) to leave but they decided to stay and defend their home. Apparently they tried and but they were overrun. In the end one-third were killed and kidnapped, one-third were injured, and one-third were left to run the oil pumping and refining business Tranquility was known for. Apparently I just liberated the recently captured town. By the time we got to the building that functioned as the town hall (though now the extra emergency room), it seemed the head of the town was in pretty bad shape.

The hunchbacked old woman said, "This is Mayor Gregor. His two daughters were taken at the end of this mess young man. He needs his rest and I want you to give it to him. Please."

Young man? I'm 43-years-old. The mayor then spoke up albeit weakly and with a raspy voice.

"It's okay Marge. I-is this the man who helped us?" She nodded. "Th-thank you sir. I don't kn-know if we can get you to...b-but could I ask if you can help o-our other townspeople who were ta-taken?"

I pulled a nearby stool and sat on it, surprised it didn't break under my weight.

"I have other matters surprisingly," I saw the saddened look appear on his pale face and continued, "but I think I may be obliged to help." I saw the older lady look through a pile of papers. She held one up and looked back and forth between me and it. "Your townsmen were taken and butchered. I may be guilty of a lot of things but families were separated and if one things for sure: I understand family. I believe I can help if you give me the location of where these bastards took your people."

The mayor looked even worse despite a still weak, joyful look appearing on his face. It sounded like he had a punctured lung and his lower torso wasn't moving at all. My experience told me that he was going to be gone before I left.

"R-really? Thank you! M-Marge can give you the q-q-quordinates to their stronghold. Mr...Mr. Ashcroft. W-when you find my daughters, y-y-you have to take them t-t-t-to Sanctuary."

I tipped my head in confusion as I heard him say that and I inquired, "Why Mayor Gregor?"

"Th-th-they are s-s-s-sp-special."

The way he closed his eyes after saying that made me think he was dead. Marge shuffled to his side and I bent to a knee and took his hand before feeling for his pulse at his neck. There was something but it was very, very faint. The very least I could do was give a dying father some reassurance before he died.

"You have my word Mayor Gregor. I'll get your people back and make sure your daughter is taken to Sanctuary."

"Thank youuuuu."

He gave that one last fading 'thank you' and died. I checked for a heartbeat before telling Marge he was gone. I hate being right sometimes.

Marge had a tablet sort of device and sent a quest to my H.U.D before she gave me a look.

"Prove that you can be trusted convict. The mayor is counting on you to help. Now go and if you'll excuse me, I have to go bury my son-in-law and my daughter."

The older lady took the blanket that was covering the mayor below the waist and moved it to cover his whole body. I got up and check my hud before asking her a question.

"If this is a fueling town, do you have a fuel tanker?"

…...

I've driven heavy machines before so driving this tanker wasn't much problem. I just had to get used to the unfamiliar model and it was as smooth sailing as shooting Ashlyn. I had been traveling for a good while now and manage to cut a little bit of time of the clock by traveling as cautiously as I could through shortcuts that Marge programmed in my map. Activating my map and watching the way through it, I saw the mountains and the location of this "Fort Holdout" coming up. I couldn't prevent the grin from spreading to my face despite the fury in the back of my mind. There was just something about causing ear shattering explosions to breach a position and this one was going to be a doozy. I had to eject from the cab with the ejection seats at just the right moment so I wouldn't be to close to the explosion.

The entrance came closer. And closer. And closer. I placed my hand on the ejection handle. The gate got nearer. And nearer. And near.

 _ **Click-k, Sprang, Whoosh!**_

 __I braced for the jerk of the ejection seat and shot into the air, the parachute activating as I started to descend.

" _Front row seats_ ," I thought.

 _ **FWOOOOOOM!**_

"Alllright! Ha, ha yeah," I shouted in excitement after my seat was shaken by the shockwave.

As soon as I touched down, I unstrapped from the seat and digistructed an assault rifle from my pack. It was a newer model from Dahl, one of the Spinguns or whatever they were called. Four shot burst, accurate, and fired shock bullets from a 24 shot magazine. It's reload time could be a bitch though but it packed a hell of a punch and I had my back up equipment. I sprinted to the fiery entrance and ready to kill some bandits.


	4. Chapter 4: Felicity Gregor

Chapter 4

Felicity Gregor, the Siren

"The oil under Tranquility was our life's blood. Without it, we're dead."

At least that's what the Mayor always says. I mean it was more the life's blood of the people who weren't able to pump their own oil on Pandora right? Or the ones not protected with government funded towns? It was tough work but when you're in the middle of nowhere on some godforsaken plains on a hell hole planet that had more murder in it than an old episode of the Underdome Riots, you did what needed to be done. Even if that meant having to pay protection fees to the nearest bandit group.

"Alright Felicity, shut the pump off," Stewart told me.

I nodded, left the pumping hose, made my way over to a near by control console, and pressed a few buttons on the console before pulling a lever down. The machine worked it's way to a stop and when it did, Stewart and another guy detached the hose that went from an underground tank (one of many) to one of three fuel tankers that we had. As I walked back, one of the others threw me a rag to wipe oil stains on my hands away.

"Good job boys and girls." Stewart then wiped the sweat from his brow. "All the trucks are filled and we'll decide on who's driving them after break. Get some rest it's only 8 a.m., I hear Manny and Reggie had bacon dropped in."

We may not have had a single high school diploma among us but we sure had a stable and functioning town. Instead of heading to the mess hall that Manny and Reggie Ortega set up for the workers, I headed home for a nap. I walked up to one of the larger homes (it was two stories, a rarity here where we were at) and one of the nicer ones too. It didn't look like a shantytown shack I mean. Kinda helps when your the mayor's oldest daughter. Doesn't mean I ever have had an easy life mind you. Nothing has ever been easy for me...or my sister for that matter. As I pushed the door open, I heard someone talking in the living room.

"And then the door opened to the house and out jumped the Queen of the Skags!"

Well speak of the devil. Seems she is telling ghost stories to the little kids again. Judging by the squeals, she got a few of them. As I walked into her line of sight (something I try not to do in these current situations), I heard her continue.

"Look now!" I literally felt her pointing. "There's the queen now!"

I turned in time to see the little kids she was watching dash into her arms, into her lap, and behind her. For 16 years old, she sure liked to act like a mischievous little grade schooler.

"Yes very funny Denna. Be careful because this queen gets cranky when she needs a nap." I decided to play along. "She just might eat your little friends just because she can." I stalked towards some of the kids but was shoved out of the way as I bumped into someone I didn't see.

"Move bitch!"

Three bulky people pushed me and knocked me down as they continued on. Then I heard the familiar voice of my father as Denna came to my aid.

"You dirty bastards! If you lay another hand on my daughter, you won't see ANY money for the protection got that!"

They must have been bandits representing the people "protecting us". They just brushed off what my father said and when one of then piped up a snarky response, he pulled a shotgun from an old cane holder by his office. He didn't cock it or aim it but he held it to make a point.

"If you so much as threaten any of my people, including my girls, you won't see any gas to fill your technicals and you won't see any money for your guns and ammo. Now get the hell out of my house before I redact my willingness for your protection you son of a bitch!"

"We'll be back to renegotiate 'mayor'." They said mayor with so much sarcasm it practically dripped to the floor. "Halden doesn't particularly like it when people don't pay on time he doesn't like it when they threaten to not pay. We'll be back with a new deal and you have till we get back here to decide if you'll take it or not."

With that they left. My father was no stranger to threatening someone with a gun just like he wasn't to blistering our my butt when I did something wrong, but he seemed visibly shaken as he put the shotgun away.

I pulled my taller younger sister closer and whispered, "Take the kids outback or something. I've got to talk to dad."

"Can't grandma Marge do it? Or mom?"

I shook my head.

"He needs someone to talk to now and they're helping at the clinic. Just get these kids distracted or something." I rested my hand on her shoulder, my tattoos touching hers. "Things will be fine. Dad always tries to be a shoulder for everyone but right now he needs a shoulder to lean on."

She nodded and she turned to the quivering little kids and gave her orders, changing her voice to be more playful.

"Alright you little buggers, let's go. The Queen was slain and the evil mercenaries slain by our hero Mayor Gregor! Let's go play Freeze Tag in the backyard now."

As the kids were ushered past her and to the back door, I heard one of them ask about when the evil mercenaries came into the story. Denna told him to quit falling asleep, confusing him even more. Then she turned to me and motioned to the kitchen with her head.

"Your birthday present from me is on the table. Open it soon 'kay?"

I looked into the kitchen and saw a terribly wrapped present. By terribly wrapped, I mean that it was wrapped in old oil-stained newspaper, most likely was in an oil-stained cardboard box, and it had an (of course oil-stained) ribbon wrapped in a bow on top.

"It better not be that stinkin bear you try to give me every year," I called to her.

She closed the door before I even finished talking to her. I sighed. She always tried to give me the twin of the old stuffed bear she wore on her hip. She said it allowed her to focus her abilities and that it could do the same for me as well as act like a good luck charm. My sister was always one for superstitions. But as I turned to my dad's closed office door, I couldn't help but think of how much we needed some of those superstitions as I took a now nervous breath. Usually Grandma Marge or Mom was able to help him but they weren't here right now.

I opened the door a little and asked, "Dad? You okay?" I was half expecting him to say he was fine and to just leave him be for the time being. He didn't say anything and I continued. "Can we talk dad?"

"About what dear?"

I knew he wasn't that dense but was trying to dodge a question.

"About the obvious bandit in the room."

"I would figure that wouldn't need to be talked about. Especially since you and Denna were in the room when that display of inhumanity showed itself."

I sighed and entered, regardless of what he wanted. After closing the door softly and adjusting the straps of my sleeveless shirt, I sat down across from him and stared him directly in the eyes.

"You do so much for this town dad. You've done so much for this area of Pandora. Despite bandits and monsters, despite bad weather and sickness, you have given so much of yourself and taken little in return. Even when me and Denna were...you know...gifted in ways that put us in danger, you've made sure we had everything we could ever need."

"Felicity you don't-..."

"Don't try to interrupt me dad. Just let me finish. Please just tell me what I can do to help. I may be your little girl but I'm 25. After all you've done for me to protect me because of my gift, the least I can do is give back. Take a load off your chest dad. Talk to me. I'm right here and I'm ready to help you just like you do for everyone else."

I slowly took the papers he was looking at out of his hands before placing mine in his. He sighed in defeat before telling me of the problem. The bandits were asking for more money and more fuel. The money we didn't have and we wouldn't be able to get the money they needed if we were giving them more fuel. We'd have to expand and upgrade, which would have been expensive, and our way of life could be shattered. He told them he'd get them the money when he got it but they'd have to be patient. The bandits didn't like that and when dad threatened to pull the town's want for their protection after they knocked me down, he felt that he just dug Tranquility a grave. I gave him all the comfort he needed but I don't think any of us knew what tomorrow was going to bring except the obvious.

…...

God damn this planet I hate being right. Why does every bad thing that happens on this planet need to come in the form of rabid wildlife or by being brutalized by bandits. When someone came running up yelling about incoming vehicles, my father was in the middle of the road with his shotgun as a precaution. By the time the bandits were done pulling in, there was three technicals and five outrunners. Someone stepped out of the most tricked out and bloody looking runner. He had a ragged trench coat, a horned psycho mast with goggles covering the busted eye covers of the mask, no shirt, and ragged pants. He had spikes all over his black boots and was holding a mean looking machete that was attached to a strange device on his wrist by a chain.

"You the mayor of this oil sty?"

My father was nervous I could tell but he stood defiantly in front of them all. My sister, me, our grandma, and mother were standing outside our house hoping with all our might that nothing would go wrong.

"It's Tranquility. It may be an oil sty but it has a name. I'm the mayor and can I presume I'm talking to the leader of the now 4th largest bandit group since that Tallyho guy and Bloody George were killed?"

"The 4th largest but the most dangerous and the smartest. You've got stones Gregor but I intend to break them. What's the shotgun for? I figured you were a politician from what my boys told me."

My dad shouldered the Hyperion shotgun he had after removing the overall straps on his shoulders.

"It's for anyone who wants to touch my family like they did yesterday. I see the bastard who pushed my daughter is among your crowd. I'm half tempted to see if it works on him Banner," my father said not even looking at the leader.

This Banner seemed to be a politician himself. He wasn't rabid and feral, spouting off Shakespere, or talking about being badass or hungry for flesh like every other bandit did. He kept calm and every move he made seemed to have a purpose no matter what it was. He took the goggles off, removed the mask, and tossed the two of them in his runner. Much like his bare torso, he was scarred and tattooed all over his face. I think he scared me more than any other bandit our town has seen. He had a shaved haircut that seemed to match his near military disposition.

"Let's cut to the chase here Mayor G. Times are hard, especially when you're dealing with a constant loss of men. You have to kidnap, steal, and blackmail more often than normal but we've had a working relationship. You pay me for protection and we don't make you wish asking Hyperion for help is the least of your worries. If I need to get technical well frankly...we've been courteous. We've left you alone unless you needed our help, we've let your girls alone, and we kept your towns secret well...a secret." Banner had been walking closer to my dad. Slowly and meticulously with each sentence. Finally he was nose to nose. "My boys carried my will and proposition to you so I expect more fuel and money without any issue."

My father stood his ground. Every one one of our townspeople were shaking in their boots, even the hardened fighters.

"I told your men we didn't have the full payment. We can give you oil, hell Banner we can give you extra. But we've got to make our next delivery to give you the money. That's how it is and that's how it's going to be. We'll pay you but we're not going to pay you with dust."

It was very easy to see Banner's blade hand twitch. I think he stopped breathing with the next things he said.

"You're late with your payment. Everyday you're late we take something. A building, a person, a life, or even one of your oil tankers. Right now we'll take a building. Next time we won't be so obvious. Tosser, bring something down!"

Everyone stared helplessly as one of the technicals turned it's explosive payload towards the clinic. It launched it's barrel towards it but the ordinance blew up when my father shot it out of the air. When Banner tried to bring his weapon down on my father, he hit the bandit leader in the face with the butt of his shotgun. Some bandits were about to start shooting but I knew I had to act. My tattoos started to glow a brighter blue than they were before. Energy started to collect around my fist and I thrust my hand out, shooting the balled up energy into an elongated blast. The technical it connected with blew up. The entire area erupted in a brief moment of chaos: the townspeople ducked for cover and hid in the buildings, bandits evacuated their vehicles as I blew up a red outrunner, and I saw my sister's tattoos glow like mine.

Yeah. That help I told you my dad gave me? It was ensuring me and my sister were safe as Sirens. Only 6 in the known universe at a time and two were siblings. My sister ensured the surviving bandits remained docile and under her control with her Phasetrance, or "Siren Song" as she called it. I seemed to be more universally prepped for offensive fighting with my Phaseblast.

Denna brushed her gray hair out of her eyes as she said, "Nice tag teaming big sister."

I smiled at her before responding, "Likewise." I looked to our father. "It's your turn to speak dad, your baby girls got your back."

He nodded and lowered his shotgun.

"Tranquility no longer requires your protection Banner." The bandit leader was standing up and had blood dripping from his mouth and nose (which was crooked and broken now). "I should blow your head off right now and now one here would care if I did. You are going to go and take your business somewhere else. I don't care where, I don't care who you terrorize right now, and I don't want to see you or your lackeys anywhere near MY town again. Remember that I spared you and my debt now is zero. You seem like a reasonable man Banner. Now take this," my dad cocked his gun, "as your reason to leave."

"Dad what are you doing?! Don't let them go!"

I agreed with my sister. What was my dad doing letting bandits go!"

"Dad seriously," I started in, "why are you letting him go? These...these," I couldn't help it, "assholes have made our lives hell!"

"Honey you need to know that killing is not always the answer, even here. The Borderlands is a lawless and evil place but that doesn't mean everyone in it needs to be evil."

Why did he sound so self-righteous right now?

"But dad, killing him doesn't make you an evil person! It's doing what's right!"

He shook his head. I had noticed Denna's Siren Song had worn off and everyone, including Banner, was strangely quiet.

"And Banner trying to kill us is what he thinks is right."

Denna and I tried to protest but he cut us off. The remaining bandits were in their Outrunners and Technicals and starting to pull out. Banner was the last one on and I think everyone was half expecting the leader to say some cliché line like, "You'll be sorry!" or something. He didn't. He just sat in the back of the technical and stared at my father. Then he glanced at me and only me. He slid his machete across his own throat, causing blood to trickle down it and his chest. Shivers went down my spine in the hot Pandora sun.

"I want everyone with military, hunting, and any form of heavy combat experience with me. We need to fortify our town."

…...

"What the hell was that? Where am I?"

I was jostled and hit my head on a solid wall of a container. Light peaked through holes and when I looked at my hands I gasped.

"Who's b-blood is this?!"

I couldn't help cry my thoughts out loud. Where was I damn it? With the way this container I was in moved, it seemed like I may have been on the back of a truck. I could see myself more now that my eyes were adjusting. There was blood all on my hands, my bare arms, and I could feel it stuck to my face. I could smell something too. Blood, sweat, and gunpowder. Suddenly I felt the vehicle I was in jolt to a stop and a loud creaking was heard. I saw tattoos were all up my arm and shoulder. Strange.

 _ **FWOOOOOM!**_

 __This explosion suddenly happened and I couldn't hear anything but a high pitched ringing. I tried to talk, I know I did because I moved my mouth. I was completely deaf even after the ringing stopped. A final question rang through my mind.

" _Who am I?_ "

A/N: This is the last character for the behind the scenes group known as the Sanctuary Specialist. If you were expecting a fight scene in Tranquility then all I say is: use your imagination for a little fun. I felt this had been drawn on enough for an introduction sequence. You have the Wildcard, the Skag Rider, the Vanguard, and now the Siren. What's that? I introduced two Sirens? Well we'll have to just see what became of Denna Gregor. When the group is together full-time. Obviously she is alive and well because of my Borderlands Christmas Fanfiction but we'll just need to see. Be patient readers and stay tuned for the next chapter of the misadventures of The Sanctuary Specialist!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Unity in Circumstantial Firefights

William Ashcroft ran through the fire and started to unload with his machine gun. With pinpoint accuracy and a form that was surprising for his excited laughing. He didn't notice the skag rider and medic hurry to his location before he took cover behind a barely standing concrete block. Ashcroft reloaded and when he was ready, gave himself covering fire as he went to better cover behind a flipped technical. He reloaded a second time and shot the groggy riders of it before ducking down. That was when he noticed a giant skag leap through the flames with two people on its back.

"Shit. More of em'."

He prepared to take place as he sat back against the technical. However when they came under sudden fire and scurried to his side without a second thought after the skag left the battlefield, he fired back through the smoke in the air.

"Who the hell are you idiots?"

Dreidall responded before Blair, "We're the idiots? You sir are the one who rammed a tanker into the big door."

The big man smirked, "Bandits love an entrance." Then he got serious again. "Now who the hell are you?"

When all three got done firing rounds from their weapons (Blair with a fire SMG and Dreidall a shock one), Blair answered.

"I have no idea who he is but me: I'm Blair Mackenzie. Sanctuary's all around jack of all trades."

The Pandora native tipped his hat, "I'm Dreidall Hawking big guy and my pet over there is Skagella. She'll join when the time's right."

"William Ashcroft. So," Ashcroft started before firing a few rounds with the other two, "if you two don't know each other then why did you jump into the perpetual fire like a bunch of dumbasses?"

Blair knew the bearded man's name sounded familiar but he put it out of his mind.

"Dreidall digistructed a Maliwan sniper rifle and sniped a charging group of psychos with flaming bullets before answering, "Me and this guy agreed to save your ass. Also," he fired some more, "these bastards have been attacking the town I live in front of protect. Figure I'd change things up."

Blair digistructed his sniper rifle out and quickly sighted in a red fire barrel before pulling the trigger. Three snipers were engulfed in flame.

"My priority is that crate. I was scouting-..." he started before Dreidall interrupted.

"Terribly Purple Rain, terribly."

Blair sighed mildly annoyed, "My priority is that crate on that truck. I was scouting this convoy after hearing about a town getting hit. I figured that probably has something I can take back to my boss."

"Me too," the other two men said simultaneously.

"What?"

"I was told I needed to find two 'special girls' who were taken by a town that was attacked," Ashcroft replied.

Dreidall tipped his hat up out of his eyes.

"My town heard a distress signal and asked if I possibly could investigate. Funny cluster of circumstances eh?"

The group fired off another barrage.

"Yeah. Now I'm curious as to what's in the crate. I'll continue murdering assholes later so let's check that out," Ashcroft smirked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa hotshot. We gotta prep first."

"Whattaya mean," Dreidall and William asked.

Blair gave his own devious smirk and held up his Hacker-Jacker.

"Unless you want your ear drums blown up like a certain 13-year-old's tea party, you'll let me scan you with this."

Throughout this entire conversation and firefight, Felicity Gregor huddled as close to the ground as she possibly could. She was still deafened but she could hear the gunshots ever so gradually. She started to kick the container she was in.

" _God_ ," she kicked, " _damn_ ," another kick, " _it_!" She gave a final kick.

Suddenly a shrill, high-pitched buzz pierced the air. Felicity clutched her head and tried to cover her ears as the sound seemed to cancel everything else out. If she wasn't screaming in pain, she would have heard a massive number of similar pained cries. To everyone affected by the Hacker-Jacker, it felt like their heads were about to explode.

"In there," Ashcroft shouted.

"Dreidall, give us covering fire. Ashcroft, help me get this thing opened," Blair ordered.

"Alright," the others complied in unison.

As Dreidall shot every one of the screaming bandits he could with lethal precision, William and Blair worked the container's entrance open. It took a few shotgun blasts and some laser cutting (with Blair's universal device) to work it opened. Finally the Hacker-Jacker's sonic blast was done and back on its cooldown.

When the two got the door open, the screaming from Felicity had died down and the bullets started flying again.

"I don't know where you got that thing but it sure is useful as hell," Dreidall commented ducking down. "Is whoever was screaming okay?"

"She ain't movin," Ashcroft started as he checked the girl's pulse, "but she's breathing."

Blaire wiped sweat from his brow.

"Glad her head didn't explode." The others looked at him. The medic shrugged, "It's a rare side-effect of having a sonic frequency of that caliber ring into your ears. Glad she just fainted."

Ashcroft ducked from a sniper shot.

"I kill people but even I'm not gonna risk the life of someone who I'm told I need to rescue...much. You don't seem like the kind to do that at all."

Blair grinned in reassurance, "Don't worry, I didn't have it on the brain blasting setting. Let's get her out of here."

The three stood up and shot a volley of their clips before dropping down to cover.

"What about the rest? I need to find two girls," William said.

"We'll come back when we're ready. We've already dealt damage to them but we need to get out so we can strategize."

"Just saying I'm all for getting out of here. I didn't want to get involved directly in the first place," the skag rider commented.

Ashcroft fired a few more rounds to contemplate.

"Fine," he responded in a huff.

"Alright here's what we do. Dreidall get your skag-..."

"Get Skagella you mean," the rider interrupted

"Get Skagella," Blair continued, "and take this girl out of here but DON'T leave us. Bill and I will give you cover. Then he's gonna give me enough cover to get my runner and I'll give him cover. We'll then get to the nearest fast travel station and get to Sanctuary. Sound good?"

The other two nodded and they all reloaded their guns. The medic held up 3 fingers and proceeded to count down. After one, he made a motion with his middle and pointer fingers. Dreidall stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave a shrill whistle that could be heard over the roar of the gunfire. An even louder roar was heard. The rider switched his rifle out for two TMP's and leapt on top of the bounding skag queen. He fired at anyone he could see along with Ashcroft while Blair laid the girl (Felicity) across lap.

"Go," Ashcroft bellowed.

Dreidall ordered Skagella outside the walls and then William digistructed his minigun out. Dust and concrete blew into the air as the bullets made everything seem like Styrofoam. Blair threw the last of his grenades before running for his runner. Ashcroft moved backwards as fast as the big gun would allow him. Every time his shield ate some bullets, he made sure Ashlyn caused some of the shooter's skulls to eat some back.

 _ **Whirrrrrrr, click, click, click**_

"Shit!"

Ashlyn was out of bullets and soon digistructed back into her case.

"Move big man!"

Blair open fired with the front guns on his outrunner. William Ashcroft lumbered towards him and was wondering how he'd get into the one man vehicle. His answer came when Blair spun the outrunner around and pointed to the back. He was motioning for the big man to hop on the bumpers and hang on. He obliged as the medic started to take off and made the lightweight craft significantly heavier. The strain of his weight on the runner was obvious but it's deceptively powerful engine showed its strength and sped the vehicle out of the compound.

Dreidall, Skagella, and the unconscious Felicity kept up.

"Where we going soldier boy, c'mon give me something!"

Dreidall couldn't be heard but Blair saw his mouth move.

"Just follow me," Blair mouthed and then he put his foot as far onto the gas as he could.

Ashcroft clung on for dear life as the wind stung his skin.

*10 Minutes later*

The group arrived at a small shack with a few vending machines and a Catch-A-Ride system. There were two people, a middle-aged man and a women, sitting in rocking chairs with pistols on their laps. The man was missing his left ear, arm, and eye while the woman was missing her right ear, arm, and eye. The way they sat had their weaker sides closer to each other. Right next to the man was a fast travel station.

"Let's go people, we're safe for the moment. Get scanned into the fast travel station if you aren't already and head for Sanctuary." Blair then hit a few buttons on the Hyperion machine and stepped aside. "Harry, Harley," he acknowledged.

The two nodded as Ashcroft and Dreidall were scanned into the system and the still unconscious Felicity.

"Better hurry," Harry said.

"Yep, there's some Bandit Technical's on their way," Harley added.

"How do you-…" Dreidall was about to ask when the sound of engines were heard.

"Let's go, hurry!" Blair ordered. He then hit a button on the Catch-A-Ride and pulled a small gun shaped device from it. He pressed the trigger and it scanned his runner, which soon disappeared as it was scanned.

Ashcroft pointed to the two with his thumb.

"What about them?"

Harley cackled, "Ever wondered why there are so many hills in this particular region?"

Harry spit in the dirt and gave the answer, "Because we're the reason for half of them."

"Pandora's a crazy place with crazier people," Blair stated. "Now come on, let's go."

Dreidall scanned his skag and then they all grouped up. Blair hit the button and selected Sanctuary as their destination.

 _ ***At Sanctuary***_

The group landed on their feet in Sanctuary's Fast Travel building. Ashcroft made sure Felicity was still breathing. Then he looked to the raven haired man.

"What's the deal with those two?"

Blair shrugged, "Just two of Pandora's crazier siblings. At least they aren't bandits or cannibals. Now come on, we need to see Lilith."

"Lilith as in the Siren wanted by Hyperion for various reasons? Perfect, I need to talk to her about this place's history."

"While the historian learns some history, I want some payment. Maybe something to eat as well," Dreidall followed up while checking one of his TMP's.

"Oh the people you meet in circumstantial firefights," the medic marveled.

 **A/N: There you have it people: the Christmas Release Fanfic of 2015. It isn't Christmas themed but I never exactly specified that they would as the first one was a Rumble Roses Match (Aigle vs. Makoto). This one was nearly complete and sitting in my computer so I figured I would finish it. Enjoy, tell me if I missed some grammatical issues, and have a wonderful Christmas whether you celebrate it or not. At some point I plan to work on a schedule to balance my writing, video games, work, and college so I will probably get some stuff out again in the future. Have a nice day!**


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